Cleaner toilets, better manners?

Extracted from
Toilet ambassadors help Singapore clean up
Melanie Lee Singapore

The WTC is the educational arm of the Singapore-based World Toilet Organisation, which Sim said has members from 40 countries, and organises the World Toilet Summit, which will be held this year in Moscow in September.

"Japan is famous for its clean toilets and their culture demands clean toilets," Sim said.

Saiko Sakamoto, an expert on toilet aesthetics who is part of Katsumata's clean-up crew, said toilets reflect a person's grooming.

"If the toilets are clean, people's manners will improve," she said.

While some Singapore loos pass muster, other public washrooms "look very dirty", she said.

"In shopping centres and hotel toilets, the styling is very attractive," Sakamoto said.

Japan needed 15 years for its toilets to shine and Singapore's toilets will require five to seven years of work before reaching that standard, she said.

Katsumata, who has organised similar seminars in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, urged toilet cleaners to uphold Singapore's squeaky-clean reputation.

"Tourists who visit Singapore have the impression that Singapore is very beautiful and clean, so don't disappoint them," he said through a translator.

Singapore imposes a fine of 30 Singapore dollars ($18) on those who fail to flush public toilets.

"We are a rich country and we have everything. Our image is that of a clean and green city. We can't have dirty toilets," Sim said.
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I did not know that flushing is 'fine-driven' until today but I believe many shopping mall and restaurant toilets now have automatic flushes to keep the bowls clean.

Dirty seats seem to be a bigger problem, for ladies and poopoo-ing guys. That is why we need such signs, erm.. to be written correctly.